Improvement in mole-plows



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE L. GRIFFIN AND J. H. OARPER, OF DALLAS CITY, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MOLEPLOWS.

Specication formingpart of Letters Patent No. 27,285, dated February 28,1860.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE L. GRIFFIN and J.H. GARPER, of Dallas City, in the county of Hancock and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMole-Plowsfor Forming UnderDrains, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to thc accompanying drawings,making part ot' this specilication, in which- Figure l represents a sideelevation of an under-drain or mole plow embracing our improvements Fig.2 represents a similar elevation, showing the supports of the beam inthe position they occupy when adjusted to form the drain with a descent.Fig. 3 represents an elevation of the rear end of the beam and itssupporting-frame, and Fig. I represents an elevation of the front end ofthe beam and its adjustable support.

y Among the most serious diiculties in the operation of forminguuderfdrains is the great amount of power that is required to draw themole through the earth, the loss of' time thereby, and consequentlygreatly increasing the expense and rendering the operation toolaborious.

To diminish the draft of the mole-plow, so that it can be worked withless power and with greater facility, is the object ot' one branch ofour improvement; and it consists in constructing the sword (whichconnects the beam with the mole-plow) ot' an angular or pointed form,having its cutting-edge terminating iu a point by the convergence ot' anadvancing and receding angle in advance of and above the point of themole, whereby the sword will be caused to penetrate and pass through theearth more easily than if it were straight. Moreover7 this pointed swordbraces and stcadies A the mole during the operation, because the twobranches or angles receding from the point make a double oblique bracein the ground, and thus the single sword performs the duty c andpossesses the advantages of the colter and standard as heretoforecombined.

In the accompanyiugdrawin gs, A represents the beam7 to the rear portionof which the sword that carries the mole is firmly secured. An adjlisting-frame consisting of two uprights, B B and D D, is secured ateach end of the beam, so as to be capable of vertical adjustment, bymeans of screws b d, swiveled to the frame beneath the beam and passingthrough anut in the latter.

The rear adjusting-frame, B, carries a roller, O, which is made concave,and it also passes over the opening made by the sword, and thus rendersit certain to be properly closed. The front adjusting-frame carries anaxle with a roller, E, on each end, which serves to support the frameand this end of the beam. By these adjusting-frames the depth of thedrain may be varied and made more or less inclined.

The sword consists of a single piece of wrought-iron made pointed, withits upper part, F, advancing from the beam and its lower part, G,receding from the point to the back of the mole, and the angles of thetwo meet in a point, a, in advance ofthe mole, and at such a distanceabove it that the point a of the sword shall always be below the surfaceofthe ground. This construction of the sword, it will be seen, forms adouble oblique brace to the mole in the soil and keeps the mole steadywithout obvious that the draft ofthe machine win be greatlyreduced,because the sword leads with its point easily piercing the soil, and thecutting-edges, rapidly retreating from the point, sever the soil withcomparatively little or no resistance. Moreover, by this angular swordno colter or independentleadingcutter is necessary.

The mole I is of the usual form, being fiat on its under side, convex onits top and sides, and pointed, with its back or top rising from thepoint with a gradual curve to the rear end. Its iat portion determinesthe bottom of the ditch or drain and its sides and top the walls or archthereof. A follower having a transverse depression in the middle of itslength may be connected iexibly to the. rear ot' the mole.

The second part of our .improvement is for the purpose ot' closing theopening made by the sword in the surface of the soil more effectuallythan has hitherto been done, to prevent the water running into the drainfrom the outside; and as under-drains are frequently choked and closedup from this cause, it is found necessary to employ a man to follow themachine and close the opening, so imperfect are the devices of themachines hitherto employed to accomplish it.

The inclined rear edge of the upper branch, F, of the sword, it will beseen, forms an obtuse angle with lthe surface of the ground, and in theapex of this angle we have arranged the closing-roller J, mounted so asto turn on its axis in the front end of a spring arm or reach, K, whoserear end may be hinged or otherwise secured to the adjusting-frame B orunder side of the beam A.

The spring-reach consists of a` curved plate of tem peredsteel, andshould be of such length that when the mole has reached the depth of theintended drain the rear-h or arm will be compressed in the direction ofits length, and the tendency therefore of the roller J is constantly topress forward; but as it is arrested against the inclined back ofthesword the compressed force of the spring is directed downward and holdsthe roller firmly upon the ground.

In addition to the pressure of the spring, it will be observed thatiheback of the sword holds the roller down and only allows it to riseagainsttheincreased compression ofthe sprin greach, as shown by redlines in Fig. 1, so that while the roller may rise to pass over stones,hillocks, and other obstructions, it will be always pressed by Atheconjoint action of thel spring and inclined back of the sword upon thesoil with sufficient force to close the openingeffectually.Crossinghollowsordepressions does not interfere with the action of theroller or the joint action of the sword, as the couipressed force of thespring always crowds it into the apex of the angle formed by the swordand surface of the ground, as shown by red lines in Fig. 2.

The roller is made concave, or of two concs with their apices unitedtogether directly over the openings in the ground; or it may be of anyother proper shape suitable for the purpose.

. The spring-arm should be made sufficiently strong and elastic toinsure its proper action, and also of such length that it may have therequisite degree of compressed force as it extends forward beneath theinclined back of the sword.

Our machine is operated by horse-power provided with a windlass and ropeor chain, by which it is connected to the front end of the beam.

The mole may be adjusted to cut a drain from a depth of fourteen inchesto five feet below the surface ofthe ground, and it is obvious that thesupporting-rollers may be adjusted so as to cause the lnole to form thedrain parallel or thereabout to the surface of the ground, or to accordwith an inclination lhaving a decent of about three feet and a length'ofabout ten rods over rough and uneven ground.

What we claim as our improvement is- Constructing the sword with anadvancing and receding angle, which converge in a point in advance ofthe point of the mole and directly aboveit, in combination with saidmole, inthe manner and for the purposes herein fully described.

In testimony whereof' we have hereunto signed our names.

GEORGE L. GRIFFIN. J. H. CARPER. Witnesses:

L. H. DoTY, HENRY F. BLACK.

